


Beneath the Waves

by VolsungartheMighty



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: (but only briefly) - Freeform, Atlantis the Lost Empire AU!, Chris is a billionaire, Derek is a doctor, Liam crushes on Derek, Lydia is a Mechanic, M/M, Theo is a prince, liam is a nerd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-06-16 00:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15425229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolsungartheMighty/pseuds/VolsungartheMighty
Summary: After quitting his job at the Smithsonian after a dispute with his boss, Liam Dunbar, professor of linguistics, is contacted by a friend of his late grandfathers, reclusive billionaire Christopher Argent. He wishes to see Liam’s grandfathers dream, that of finding the lost city of Atlantis, come true.After an attack from something called the leviathan, and navigating treacherous caverns, Liam is surprised to find more than broken pottery. Instead, he finds the city itself, still inhabited by the Atlantians of old. But what he finds even more intriguing is the crown prince and heir, Thodorakis, and why the mysterious prince needs his help





	1. The Great Flood and Board Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was originally going to be my big bang fic, and then i decided against it. So here is the first chapter. Atlantis the Lost empire is my favourite Disney movie of all time, and it just needed to be thiamed, so here you go. Please, comment and tell me how it's going, so i can improve as it goes on.

_…in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea._

Plato, 360 B.C.

***

All he could hear were screams.

The ground shook, buildings crumbled, people ran through the streets in terror. Gongs sounded throughout the city, while announcements shouted down from watch towers for the citizens to get to shelter. The great crystal that hung silently over the city blazed a deep, crimson red, beams of light tracing paths over the city streets, as if in search of something.

Thodorakis was pulled through the streets, his sister gripping his arm tightly as they ran, their mother slightly ahead of them as she pushed through the crowd, making their way into the palace courtyard. He had tears in his eyes, and as much as he tried, he couldn’t stop them from falling. Everything was too loud. They’d been having fun just moments ago, and now they were running in terror.

And what was worse, he’d dropped his teddy, and his sister wouldn’t let him get it.

No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t get his arm out of her grip, and she seemed to be getting annoyed at his struggling, for moments later she was pulling him towards her, a stern look on her face.

“ _Theo, just leave it, there’s no time”_ She said, eyes boring into his.

The read beams from the crystal seemed to centre on her, before turning to a bright blue, and she stood, eyes drawn to the great crystal, as the one around her neck glowed brighter than usual, hanging in the air before her.

The lights converged once again, and Thodorakis looked up into his sisters eyes, scared now. Her eyes were glowing as if from an inner light, like the light the great crystal was giving off now. There was a flash of light as the beams centred on the crystal hanging from her neck, and then she was slowly floating in the air, up towards the great crystal in the sky.

_“Tara”_ Thodorakis screamed as she floated ever skyward. _“Tara.”_

His young mind didn’t know what to make of this as Tara finally reached the great crystal, the craved faces of the Kings of the Past spinning ever faster once the crystal had claimed it’s prize, crackling beams of electricity shooting out and hitting statues all over the city.

His mother finally reached him, wrapping him up tightly to her chest. _“Close your eyes Theo, and look away”_ she shouted, loud enough to be heard over the screams.

The statues around the city, suddenly animated, each brought their hands together, before pulling them apart, what looked to be a bright blue shield forming between their hands as they were pulled apart. The shield continued to grow as their hands reached their furthest point, each shield from each statue meeting and melding seamlessly together, before growing ever upwards, meeting with together in a large dome over the centre of the city, right where the great crystal hung in the sky.

_“Please Theo, whatever you do, don’t open your eyes”_ his mother whispered quietly into his neck, keeping his head down, pressed to her chest.

But he couldn’t stop the noises. The crashing of waves against something solid, people screaming in terror before suddenly being cut out. The ground rumbled and shook, before it felt like the city was descending, and then suddenly, everything went black.

***

“Good afternoon, esteemed members of the board” Liam said loudly, his voice echoing slightly in the confines of his office. “I am here today to ask you a question. What do we know of Atlantis?”

He cleared his throat slightly, looking down at his cue cards before pressing a key on his laptop, moving to the next slide of his presentation.

“Atlantis is said to have been a continent existing somewhere in the mid atlantic, possessing technology far beyond what we have today. Our friend Plato tells us that Atlantis was suddenly struck by some cataclysmic event that wiped the continent off the face of the planet.

“Now some of you may ask ‘Why Atlantis?’ It’s just a myth, pure fantasy. But that’s where I say no. Numerous ancient culture all agree that Atlantis existed at some point, at least ten thousand years before the Egyptians built their pyramids. All of them agree that Atlantis had electricity, advanced medicine, the power of flight, thousands of years before Western civilisation invented these things. All of them agree that they had some sort of power source, something never seen before or since Atlantis existed and sunk beneath the waves.

“Now, my proposition for you, members of the board, is this” Liam said, clearing his throat again, eyeing off the slide he was on. “In this day and age of global warming, pollution, the push for renewable energies, we need something like this. Scientists around the world all agree that all of this is a problem, something that needs to be dealt with soon, or else we will get to a point where nothing will get done and it will be too late. So my proposal is this.

“Me and a crew find Atlantis, find that power source, and bring it back to the surface. If the accounts are true, this will be a source of unlimited energy, one that could fix the problems that we have created in this world.”

He paused for a moment, muttering a light _“pause for effect”_ to himself, before he pressed a key on his laptop, the slide the was projected on the wall changing to the one he wanted. It was the image of a page, written in Latin, talking about a book.

“This is a page from an illuminated text that describes the Shepherds Journal, a book said to describe the way to find Atlantis.” He moved to the next slide, showing a series of Viking runes across the top of the page, and their translation at the bottom. Between the lines of text was an image of a heavy looking Viking shield, inscriptions of runes running around it’s circumference. “Now, for decades, it’s believed to have been hidden somewhere on the coast of Ireland, based on the Viking runes here. But I compared these runes to the runes on this shield, and found that one of the runes had been miss translated. It was translated as _Ireland_ , instead of the correct spelling, _Iceland_.”

He pressed a few keys on his laptop, quickly shuffling through the slides, showing how he had translated the runes and the correction.

He stood still for a moment, in his tiny office, hidden in the basement of the museum, panting slightly. He was nervous, of course. He always was before a meeting with the board of directors.

He was about to continue his mock presentation, when a notification popped up in the corner of his screen, telling him he had an email. He quickly exited the presentation, opening up his email and opening the new one he had just received.

“Dear Mister Dunbar” he read out loud to himself. “We would like to inform you that your meeting with the board of directors has been moved from four thirty to three thirty. We hope your having a good day, Director Hale’s office.” And checked the time on his laptop, and found that it was currently ten past four. He’d missed the new meeting time by forty minutes. But why was he only just finding out now?

Another notification popped up, saying he had a new email, which he opened.

“Dear Mister Dunbar” he read out again, his voice getting louder with every word. “Due to your absence, the board of directors has chosen to reject your proposal for funding. Hoping you are well, Director Hales office. They can’t do this to me.”

He slammed his fist into his desk, shaking his head roughly, his glasses coming loose slightly and landing askew on his face. He readjusted them, quickly packing up his laptop and physical notes into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. As he walked out, he pressed a kiss to the large, gaudy ring on his finger, and gripped the dog tags around his neck tightly, before making his way through to the other offices.

It was a long trek, what with his office being down in the basement, while all of the other offices being in the upper levels of the museum. He was just about to enter the hall to the offices when the door slammed open, a train of interns running ahead with their arms full of loose pages and books, some carrying coffee, others carrying jackets and briefcases. Behind them followed the members of the board, chatting loudly. Liam grit his teeth, able to hear them insulting him before they froze, standing stock still when they saw him standing in the hall.

“Mister Dunbar, what a pleasant surprise” the head of the board, Mister Hale, said, a shark toothed grin on his face. “We thought you’d forgotten us, what with how… busy you are.”

The other members of the board laughed, some of the interns following suit.

“I was only just informed five minutes ago that the time of our meeting, which has been down for the past six months, was changed sir” Liam said, hands clenching into fists. “Please, if you give me five minutes of your time, I’ll be sure to make it worth your while.”

“And why exactly would I do that? You’re the one who didn’t show up to their own proposal” Hale said, laughing again. “No, I think that should be all for today. Why don’t you book another proposal meeting for, oh… lets say six months from now? Maybe you’ll be on time for that one.”

The rest of the board laughed as they and they interns shuffled past, pushing Liam back against the wall. He stood there, dumfounded, as they pushed him out of the way, wondering where exactly he had gone wrong.

But his anger flared, bright and hot, and he pulled his bag off his shoulder, fishing around inside for an envelope, before throwing his bag back over his shoulder, and followed after the board of directors.

He only just managed to catch up to the board members as they were filing into their limousine, Hale standing outside as he smoked a cigar.

“Mister Hale” Liam said, voice cold and severe as he walked up to him. He slapped the man on the chest with the hand that held the envelope. “That’s my letter of resignation. Consider this my two weeks’ notice.”

He then turned on his heel, and marched off, leaving a dumfounded Mister Hale standing on the side of the street.

***

It was dark when he finally returned home to his apartment, thick black clouds that had rolled in during the day finally letting lose, drenching the city. Liam was none too pleased when that had happened, his light jacket getting soaked as he marched down the street, slightly tipsy after a trip to one of the many bars on his way home.

He opened the door to his apartment, flicking the switch for the lights, shoulders slumping as they flickered on and then off, as thunder boomed outside. Great, a blackout, just what he needed.

“Hades. Come here Hades” Liam called out, as he kicked his door shut.

When the black cat didn’t immediately run towards him, Liam knew something was wrong. Hades was a very clingy cat, always wanting attention from Liam. The fact that he wasn’t immediately at the door waiting for Liam was… concerning.

He reached into the umbrella stand near the front door, creeping along the short hall and into the living area. He scanned the room through the gloom, his eyes settling on a chair sitting below the window, the light from the street lamps casting a faint glow over the chair.

A chair that was occupied by a woman.

“Liam Dunbar” she said slowly, voice clear and crisp. Her voice held a hint of… poshness about it, and Liam could tell from the way the woman sat that she had been born and raised amongst old money.

“Who are you?” Liam asked, raising the baseball bat he had grabbed from the umbrella stand, poised to attack if the woman were to jump him. “How’d you get in here?”

The upper half of her face was cast in shadow, her eyes reflecting the light from the street, and Liam could see her smirking. “I’m Santa Clause. I came down the chimney. Ho, ho, ho.”

She leaned forward, and her long, blonde hair fell forward, framing her face, revealing a pair of sparkling blue eyes. “But let’s be serious now, Mister Dunbar. My name is Kate Argent. My brother wishes to speak with you on a matter of… some urgency.”

The name was familiar. Kate Argent, younger sister of eccentric billionaire Christopher Argent. Where her brother had shied away from the limelight, she had come to accept it. Liam didn’t know much about her or her brother, to be quite honest. But he was quite wary of anyone who came from old money.

Choosing his words carefully, Liam hesitantly asked, “What would someone such as you brother want with me?”

Kate laughed, high and breathy, her head thrown back as if he had said something hilarious. “My brother does not reveal anything. He’s too paranoid to tell anyone his secrets. Besides, what my brother decides to do is beyond me. I was just instructed to bring you to him.” There was a slight pause, before she said, “He also mentioned something about a job offer?”

Liam perked up at that, baseball bat dropping to his side. “But… how?” Liam asked, mouth agape. “I only just resigned a few hours ago.”

“Don’t ask me how my brother knows” Kate said as she stood from the chair, a black mass dropping from her lap a she did so. The mass immediately sprinted towards Liam, and he crouched down, giving the red eyed black cat a scratch behind the ear, smiling as he purred in contentment. “I’ve gone to the liberty of feeding him for you. Will you be coming, or will you be staying, Mister Dunbar?”

 


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t a hard decision, after all. Liam _had_ just quit his job, and living by himself, he needed the income. God knows, in this day and age, how hard it would be for him to get another job, especially at another museum. Hale had probably already black balled him, so he would never get another job in a museum.

But the sheer _possibility_ of being offered a job just hours after quitting his previous one? He could not refuse such an offer, not now.

So, he gave Hade’s another scratch behind the ear, picking him up and putting him in his bed, stroking his fur lightly as he pressed a light kiss to the cat’s head. He purred at the affection Liam gave him, before Liam turned and left, following Kate out of his apartment and locking the door.

It was a silent walk down the stairs, the elevator out of action, as it had the whole time Liam had lived in the building. Kate seemed to be unaware of the state of disrepair the building was in, walking down the stairs with her head held high, the hem of her dress trailing along the ground lightly. Once they were outside, an attendant, who had been standing just inside the foyer of the building, was quick to open the door for them, raising an umbrella to shield the two of them from the rain, not that it did much good as the wind blew the rain underneath the umbrella.

They were quick to get in the car, the door’s slamming shut behind them as the attendant made his way around the car, hopping into the driver’s seat. The inside of the car was warm as the driver pulled out into the traffic, weaving his way through the streets, following the traffic out of the city.

Kate was talking, but Liam was… distracted. Had he really done the right thing, quitting his job? His grandfather would be disappointed in him. He would have made Liam stick it out until he had another job on hand, would have probably convinced him to just stick it out at the Smithsonian. What better place could he have been for a job? Especially in a job market that was surprisingly competitive, he was an idiot for quitting his job like he had.

He looked down at the ring on his hand, twisting it and brushing his thumb over the top, feeling the bumps and ridges along its surface that he had memorised in the years since his grandfather’s death. A serpent curled up in a circle, eating its own tail, a capitalised _D_ in the centre.

The creeping feeling of someone watching him crept up his spine, and he looked up. Kate was staring at him, her eyes burning with curiosity.

“Where did you get something like that?” she asked, voice softer than Liam would have expected.

“It was my grandfathers” Liam said, twisting the ring as Kate’s eyes continued to bore into his own. “He left it to me when he died.”

Kate hummed, opening her mouth to say something, when the crackling voice of the driver bubbled up from the intercom next to Kate. “We’re coming up the drive now, Ma’am. Where would you like us to park?”

Kate pushed the curtain over the window to the side, glancing out the window. It was still raining heavily, and by the sounds of it, probably hailing too. She pressed a button on the intercom next to her and said, “Take us to the basement carpark. At least that way we can still be dry.”

“Yes Ma’am” the driver replied, the car turning in a circle as he drove to the designated carpark. Liam felt the car descending, the sound of the rain on the roof disappearing immediately as they arrived under cover.

The car came to a stop, the driver killing the engine and getting out, opening the door, holding a hand out for Kate, which she took as she stepped from the car. Liam was given no such offer as he scrambled out of the car, hurriedly following Kate as she strolled through the garage, towards an old-style elevator, one where Kate had to open the doors herself.

Once Liam was inside, Kate shut the doors, and they rose, stopping on the next floor up, where Kate opened the doors again and strolled out, Liam following quickly after her. What he saw surprised him.

He’d been unable to see the building as they had arrived, the curtains pulled tight across the back windows, and it had been too dark outside any way. But the inside told Liam that the building was old, and large, reeking of old money. A fire place sat opposite them, the mantel carved from solid marble, a large shield resting atop the mantel, a family crest most likely. It was of a flower, the stem wound through the large, capitalised _A_ in the centre, topped by a number of flowers in bloom. It, too, was surrounded by flowers, all the same type as the one wrapped around the _A_.

The rest of the room was made of wood, the corners and walls carved in intricate patterns, scenes of hunts carved directly into the wood, rather than displayed as pictures. A few statues sat in intervals along a rug that led from one end of the long hall to the other, and artefacts, swords and shields, spears and tapestries, also hung from the walls.

“Come along, you can gawk at them later” Kate said with a smirk, walking to their left, where a broad, double staircase, the ends of the banisters carved to look like the heads of wolves, sat. But she wasn’t climbing the stairs, instead heading to another lift that sat between the staircases. Liam looked across to the other side of the room, seeing large, wooden doors, inset with stained glass, the sky outside dark. A flash of lightning lit up the room briefly, quickly followed by a crack of thunder, and he hurried along, joining Kate in the elevator.

The descended this time, darkness enshrouding them except for a singular light bulb hanging from the ceiling, and Kate turned to him, hands roaming his torso as she straightened out his shirt, fixing up his tie. She took a quick sniff of his breath, grimacing, and pulled out a packet of mints, shaking out two and handing them to Liam wordlessly.

“You will call him Mister Argent or sir” Kate said, trying to tame down his hair, spinning him around and producing a hair tie from… somewhere, pulling Liam’s hair back and tying it back. “You will stand unless you are asked to be seated, and you will keep you sentences precise and to the point, do you understand?”

Liam gulped, nodding hesitantly as the elevator came to a stop, the doors opening. Kate pushed him forward, holding the doors open as she said, “Good luck. He doesn’t bite… much.”

And then the doors were closed, and Liam was left standing there by himself.

He hesitantly stepped forward into the room, curious. It was dark, but not too dark that Liam was unable to see. The over head lights were off, and only a few lamps were on, lighting his way through the room. He was surprised to see a large aquarium, filled with fish and other aquatic life, coral and seaweed giving the impression of a coral reef as he watched clown fish, dory’s, eels and other fish swim through the water. The light from the tank gave a light blue aura to the room, and a fireplace not far from the tank was filled with a roaring blaze, filling the room with warmth.

Over the fireplace sat a portrait, two men standing side by side in military uniforms, arms slung over their shoulders as they smiled at the painter. One had glasses on and had a familiar pair of blue eyes that looked over the room.

“Grandpa?” Liam asked questioningly.

“That’s right” a new voice said from somewhere in the room, making Liam jump as he spun in search of the voice. “Your grandfather and I were friend’s way back, longer then I can remember.”

Liam eyed the other side of the room, surprised to see a multi-levled library, each with its own balcony, a small spiral staircase connecting them all together. Small reading nooks, each one lit up by a lamp, could be found all across the multiple levels.

A man was walking down the spiral stair case, wearing a pair of grey sweat pants and a t-shirt, but the way he wore it made him look… elegant, austere maybe. A pair of glasses perched on his nose completed the look. Though they were simple, comfortable clothes, he still gave the impression of coming from a family with a lot of money.

“You must be Liam” the man said, stepping off the stair case and walking towards Liam, hand outstretched. “I’m Chris Argent. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mister Argent” Liam said, shaking the mans hand.

“Please, Chris is fine” the man said with a smile. “I heard my sister on your way down. She can be a little… severe at times, when it comes to etiquette.” He said it with a chuckle, and Liam felt himself relax a little at the easy banter.

Chris gestured towards a large, wooden table, sitting down at the head and gesturing for Liam to sit down in the seat to his right.

“Now, what has my sister told you about our little meeting tonight?” Chris asked, leaning back in his seat, his fingers tracing the elegant designs carved into the wood of the chair.

“Nothing really. Only that you had a job offer for me” Liam replied, sitting with his back straight, turned towards Chris. “Though I will admit, your timing was… quite good.”

Chris chuckled, a smile gracing his lips as he stroked his chin. “You were a hard man to find, Liam” he said, shaking his head. “Your grandfather passed his paranoia down quite well it seems.” He stood, motioning for Liam to remain in his seat as he paced along the side of the table, opposite Liam. “You live as off grid as you can while still living in the middle of Washington. You pay your rent on time every week, with cash, and help your elderly land lady take out her garbage. You went to university, where you majored in history and linguistics, but went under a pseudonym, that of Markus Deidrick. You got into your internship at the Smithsonian due to Archibald’s connections, however strained they may have been, and you quickly rose through the ranks before you came to be… stuck in a basement, trawling through their databases?”

Liam hesitantly nodded, and Chris shook his head.

“What were those idiots doing with you?” Chris asked after a moment, motioning wildly with his hands. “You passed university with some of the best marks in your course, your grandfather left you with a fortune… why were you stuck in a basement at one of the largest museums in the world?”

“Well, if you know so much about me despite being so hard to find, why don’t you tell me?” Liam asked, ignoring the question. Chris sighed, taking the glasses off and wiping them off on the corner of his shirt, before holding them out to Liam.

“Put these on” he said.

“You do know I’m blind without these one’s right?” Liam asked, indicating the ones he already had on, but took them anyway, pulling his off and putting Chris’ ones on. The world was a blur that immediately hurt his eyes, but before he could move to take them off, his eyesight suddenly sharpened, the entire room coming into focus. He looked up at Chris, a confused look on his face. “What the fuck just happened?”

Chris chuckled. “Their autocorrective lenses. As your eyesight worsens with age, they keep correcting themselves, so you have complete twenty, twenty vision. But that’s not all they do. Ask me a question, any question.”

He eyed Liam inquisitively, and Liam cleared his throat. “Uh… when was the Russian revolution?”

He jumped as text scrawled itself over the left lens, bright red letters asking _Which one?_

“Go on. What does it say?” Chris asked, coming to sit down in his chair again and leaning forward in his seat, an eager look on his face.

“Which one?” Liam said tentatively, his mind running quickly. “Uh… both?”

This time a crisp, clear, feminine voice rang in his ear, soft enough that he figured only he could here it, saying _Russia had two revolutions in the year 1917, the first in March, the second in November. However, due to the fact that the Julian calendar was in use in Russia at the time, the events happened at the end of February and October, which is why they are called the February and October Revolutions._

“You like them?” Chris asked, and Liam nodded in answer. “This was how I was spouting everything I knew about you just then. I can ask the software any question about any piece of information stored in its database, or on the internet, and it will provide an answer. So please, because I do not know, and these glasses cannot find out why, what happened? Why were you stuck in the basement?”

Liam gulped, suddenly nauseous. “My grandfather got me the position as an intern because he was a member of the board of directors himself. I think if he had lived much longer after that, they would have voted to kick him off the board, because of the strained relationship he had with the other members. When grandpa died, his position was left vacant and was quickly filled by Peter Hale, his greatest rival. Grandpa hated him and had always voted against letting him onto the board. So when he took grandpas place, he made my life hell. Grandpa had made sure that the only reason I could leave was if I were to quit or did something truly terrible that they _had_ to fire me. And so, even though I was stuck in the basement, it was easier for me to just… stick it out. I had an income, I had a life outside of work. Everything was fine.”

“Until you quit your job today” Chris said, nodding sagely.

“Until I quit my jo- wait, how did you know that?” Liam asked, whipping his head around to Chris.

“I… may have hacked into the Smithsonian servers and found a series of emails from one mister Peter Hale, essentially black balling you across the country to every museum” Chris said, a frown on his face. “I think he is even trying to go international with it, so your chances of working in another museum are essentially shot.”

“Of-fucking-course they are” Liam said, standing and pacing himself now, hands balled into fists as he struggled with the sudden, burning need to break something. But he tamped it down, his desire to impress Chris out weighing his anger. He took a few deep breathes, unclenching his hands slowly, leaning against the back of his chair as he asked, “So… why did you ask for me, Mister Argent?”

Chris was silent for a moment, one finger tapping against his chin in a steady rhythm, before he pointed to a table and chair sitting by the corner of the aquarium. “Have a look over there” was all he said.

Liam crossed the room, his feet making light thumps against the carpeted floor. It was a rather small, round table, lit by a single lamp, much like other little reading nooks in Chris’s library. This one, however, was laden with books of all sorts, sizes and age. Some were old and yellowed, others with the fresh, white pages of a freshly printed book. But sitting on it’s own, right on the edge of the table, was package, wrapped in cloth and tied shut with a piece of string. A piece of card was slipped under the string, writing scrawled across it’s surface.

_For Liam. With Love, Archibald Dunbar._

“It’s… it’s from my grandfather?” Liam asked questioningly, looking back at Chris, still seated at the table, his hand stretched out for the package.

“Archibald gave that to me years ago, saying that if anything were to happen to him that I was to give it to you when you were ready” Chris said, waving his hand at Milo. “Go on, open it.”

Liam picked up the package with shaking hands, quickly untying the string and letting the cloth fall open. He was shocked to find a large, thick book, bound in leather and wood, bits of metal framing the leather, and creating a latch that locked the book shut. A swirling line, that looked like an eye, sat in the centre of the cover, etched in what looked to be gold.

“It’s… it’s the Shepherds Journal” Liam muttered in awe, turning around and looking at Chris. “Do you… do you know what this is?”

Chris shook his head, a small smile on his face. “Nope. Looks like gibberish to me.”

“Mister Argent… this… this is meant to be the key to finding the lost city of Atlantis” Liam said, slapping the book into his free hand for emphasis.

“Ha, I wasn’t born yesterday Liam” Chris said, standing and walking to the wall next to Liam, pressing a button Liam hadn’t seen. A panel slid to the side, revealing a collection of bottles. He perused the collection, selecting one out and opening the lid, pouring the amber liquid out into a glass. “How am I to tell that that’s the real deal?”

Liam undid the latch on the side, flicking the book open and laying it out on the table. One page depicted a large, carved statue, the other some text.

“Here, look at this” Liam said, pushing his glasses up as he focused on the swirling, angular text. “The Guardians. Carved after the ancient Kings of the Past, they are the cities last line of defence. Able to stop the most formidable armies at the gates, they were a force to be reckoned with.”

“How am I to tell that your not just making that up?” Chris asked, taking a sip of his drink. “How am I to know that that’s not just some myth, or legend?”

“Mister Argent, this matches up to everything I know about the legends of Atlantis” Liam said, slamming the book shut. “The Guardian’s are one of the most well known legends surrounding the city. It’s not something I just made up.”

“And how would you know this?” Chris asked, moving to sit back at the long table in the centre of the room. “It could just be a fake.”

“I have studied Atlantis my whole life” Liam said, matching Chris’s pace. “I’ve been studying dead languages for just as long. I would know if this were a fake. If this were from my grandfather, he would have known this was a fake and would have never given this to you. I would stake everything I own, everything that I believe in and have worked for that this is the genuine Shepherds journal.”

“Alright” Chris said, throwing his arms up in exasperation, but there was a gleam of… something in his eyes, something Liam couldn’t point out. “What are you going to do about it?”

Liam paced, smacking the book into his hand. It was a nervous habit of his, one that he didn’t normally realise he did. “I’ll… I’ll… I’ll get funding. The museum…”

“They’ll never believe you.”

“I’ll convince the Board of Directors” Liam said, gesturing wildly now. “I’ll _show_ them… I’ll _make_ them believe.”

“Like you did today” Chris said with a smirk.

“Yes… wait, no, not like that, ah” Liam cried out, falling into his seat with a sigh. “I’ll rent a rowboat if I have to.” He said, finally slouching back in his seat, throwing an arm over his eyes.

“Congratulations Liam, but you wont be needing a rowboat any time soon” Chris said, a humorous tinge to his voice. “We’ll be traveling in style.”

A mechanical whirring filled the room and Liam cautiously peeked out from beneath his arm, looking out towards the sound. The top of the table in front of him had opened up, a metal board rising up from within, covered in models of what looked to be submarines, cars, trucks, what looked to be a digger, and a hot air balloon.

“It’s all been arranged” Chris said, getting up from his chair as Liam leaned forward, picking up the model of the hot air balloon inquisitively. “Every last little detail, you name it has been organised. Has been for years.”

“But… but how? Why?” Liam asked, setting the model down and turning to look at Chris.

Chris slung an arm around Liam’s shoulders, pulling him from his seat and dragging him over to the fireplace. “For years, your grandfather talked my ear off with stories of that Journal, and Atlantis. Never bought it for a minute. So, finally, I think… we were in Vietnam in ’73, when I made a bet with the old bastard. I told him that if he found that journal, not only would I fund the expedition, but I’d also kiss him full on the mouth.” Chris picked up a framed picture from the mantel, showing Liam. It was a photo of the two men, Chris looking much younger than he was now, kissing. Liam arched an eyebrow, eyes flicking between Chris and the photo. Chris laughed, shaking his head. “Let’s just say, we… we were a lot closer than bunk mates normally were, and leave it at that.”

Liam nodded, and Chris placed the photo back on the mantel, sighing. “You probably don’t know how great your grandfather is Liam. Those idiots at the museum dragged him down, broke his spirit. When I last met him, he… he wasn’t the man I used to know. He’d lost that spark in life, that motivated him to keep going.” Chris shook his head, staring into the flames. A moment later, he’d spun around on his heel, pulling Liam along, back to the table in the middle of the room. “Well, what are we waiting for?”

“But… we’re gonna need a crew. Experts, archaeologists” Liam said as he was pulled along, ducking out from under Chris’s arm.

“That’s all been arranged” Chris said, point to the glasses still perched in Liam’s nose. “Show him the crew from the Journal expedition.”

A flurry of images assaulted his eyes, faces and names appearing so fast that he could barely comprehend what they said.

“They’re all experts in their fields” Chris said, sitting Liam down and crouching before them. “Stiles Stilinski is one of the best geologist’s I know. Corey Bryant is an expert in demolition. Lydia was taught by her mother how to be a mechanic, and they’re both one better than someone with a university degree in engineering. And Derek is one of the best doctors out there. It’s like he can sniff out what’s wrong with you and patch you up in now time.”

“Wait, you said the Journal expedition” Liam cut in, shaking his head. “Where did you find it?”

“Iceland” Chris said, and a photo was displayed across Liam’s glasses, the names and faces he had seen moments ago all lined up, a woman in the centre holding the journal.

“I knew it” Liam said gleefully, a smile on his face.

“So, everything is in order” Chris said standing and pulling Liam to his feet. “I’d like you to keep the glasses. They’ll be helpful for the expedition.”

“But… what about my apartment? My books, my cat?” Liam asked, rubbing his arm.

“It’s already been taken care of” Chris said. “Your free to stay here until the expedition if you want.”

“I uh… thank you, Chris. That… that means a lot, thank you” Liam said softly, a soft smile on his lips.

It looked to Liam that things were better than he had thought they would be, after the disaster if an afternoon he’d had.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, an update after almost 6 months. I promise it wont be this long of a wait till the next one.

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Liam. He was roomed in the Argent manor while Chris got everything prepared and in order for the expedition, while Kate continued to go to gala’s and balls. He’d been forced to go to one with her, and no amount of pleading from him or Chris had stopped her from pulling him along.

It was safe to say that Liam despised the night.

He’d been forced to socialise with the upper crust of society, dressed up in a fancy suit and tie that had been tailored specifically for him. It was one that he’d never have thought of buying himself, and a look at the price had told him that it was worth more than a months rent on his apartment.

Kate had, eventually, conceded to the point that Liam wasn’t cut out for the social life of the rich, and had decided to leave him at the manor when she went. Liam was more than happy to do so, spending all of his free time trying to decipher what Chris continued to call “absolute gibberish”. But as the weeks went on, Liam was able to decipher more and more of the book, and was confident in his knowledge of how to find the city.

He’d had a late night the night before, staying up until the early hours of the morning trying to decipher another bit of text. He’d never thought it would be easy, trying to translate a dead language. But it was hard, especially when he had very little to go off.

He shuffled tiredly through the halls of the Argent manor, dragging his feet as he yawned widely, jaw cracking loudly. He needed coffee, and he needed it now.

It wasnt long before he was seated at the counter of a large kitchen, his feet dangling slightly as he sat on the barstool. A cook moved swiftly through the kitchen, cooking up breakfast for Chris and Liam, moving faster than he had any right to at this time of day.

“Morning Liam” Chris said, joining Liam at the counter. He slid a tablet across the counter to Liam, tapping the screen a few times before opening an email. “Everything is coming along nicely, it seems.”

The email was mostly text, going over statistics and diagnostics. The amount of food that had been bought and stored aboard the submarine, the amount of fuel needed for the return trip. There were even a few images, showing the sheer size of the submarine. The propellers alone were bigger than a garbage truck.

“The engineers reckon that we’ll be operational within a week. Lydia just needs to get her ass down to the shipyard and be there to oversee testing, and then everything will be above board” Chris said, smiling broadly. He frowned when he realised Liam wasnt as excited about the news as he usually was. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, just tired is all” Liam said, nursing his coffee.

“Liam, i’ve seen you tired before” Chris said warily, squeezing Liam’s shoulder tightly. “What’s wrong?”

Liam smiled grimly, taking a sip of his coffee.

“I almost forgot what day it was” he said softly after a few moments. “Do you know what day it is?”

Chris shook his head, and Liam sighed.

“Grandpa died today” Liam said, sniffling softly. “How could i almost forget the day my grandfather died?”

“Liam, i am so sorry” Chris said softly, pulling him into a one armed hug. “I totally forgot. I…”

“It’s okay Chris” Liam said, shaking his head. “I normally take today off work, go and have a couple of drinks to his memory. But with everything that’s happening, i almost forgot.”

Chris was silent for a moment, peering into his own coffee as he thought, before he looked up at Liam, his eyes sparkling.

“I think i might have an idea to cheer you up” Chris said, thanking the cook as a plate of pancakes was set in front of him. “Then we can go and have a few drinks once we get back, in Archibalds memory.”

“And what would this grand idea of yours be?” Liam asked sceptically.

“Well, you still have to meet the crew, dont you?” Chris said. “You cant go into the expedition not knowing who you’re working with.”

“I… suppose that could work” Liam said, nodding his head. He cut off a large section of pancakes, chewing on the mouthful before swallowing. “Yeah, might as well. When do you want to go?”

“Give me an hour, and we’ll be on our way” Chris said, before digging into his own breakfast.

***

Liam didnt know what he was expecting when they rolled up to the small clinic. It looked just like all of the other houses along the street, a large front yard that had been paved over to make room for a car park. For someone working on such a lucrative expedition, he’d been expecting something a bit more… extravagant.

“So… we’re seeing Derek first because…?” Liam asked, trailing off. He legitimately had no idea why they were here first.

“You need a physical” Chris said, parking the car and killing the ignition. “And Derek is the one we go to, since he’s also coming along.”

“Right, i get that” Liam said, climbing out of the car. “But… i thought he would be a little… higher up.”

Chris chuckled, shaking his head. “You mean you thought he would be a multi millionaire? No, Derek doesnt do that. While he comes from a lot of money, he joined the military and became a doctor. He’s one of the best because of that experience on the field.”

“Oh, okay, that makes sense” Liam said as he climbed out of the car. “But...that doesnt explain why he’s in such a small clinic.”

“That would be because Derek gives free medical advice to the poor” Chris said, leading Liam across the parking lot. “He’s...got a bit of experience in most standard health care. He’s able to set broken bones, stitch up cuts, help with burns. He said once that he helped dig out some bullets from a few of his squad mates while in Afghanistan.”

Liam nodded, but remained silent as he followed Chris into the clinic, enjoying the warm air of the waiting room. Liam sat down as Chris walked over to the reception, talking quietly with the receptionist, before joining Liam.

“He wont be long. Derek cleared his schedule for you” Chris said, picking up the morning’s paper from a table, his eyes skimming over the headlines.

“He...did, did he?” Liam asked, but said nothing else on the matter. He pulled out a little pocket notebook of his, scanning over some of the notes he had concerning the Shepherd's Journal.

He heard a door open and then shut, a gruff, a stern voice talking to a patient, discussing something about medication and when to take it. A womans voice thanked him, and Liam glanced up to watch an elderly woman shuffling out of the clinic.

“Ah, Chris, it’s good to see you” the gruff voice said, and Liam’s eyes flicked over to the man, widening slightly at the site before him. “How have you been?”

Liam watched as Chris stood, embracing the man like a brother as they talked. But he didnt hear anything, too focused on the man before him. Broad shouldered, his shirt was pulled tight across a broad chest, arms filling the sleeves of his shirt. The mans jaw, sharp enough to cut diamonds on, was covered in a thick beard. Liam couldnt keep his eyes off the man.

He was dragged from his thoughts by a cough, and Liam looked up, the man arching an eyebrow at him.

“Sorry...did you say something?” Liam asked, clearing his throat.

The man chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he smile. Liam felt a stirring in his gut at the knowledge he put that smile on the handsome mans face.

“I was saying” the man said, “That you must be Liam.”

“I...I am. That is me, yes” Liam said, stumbling over his words. “And you must be…”

“Derek Hale, yes” the man said, holding out a large, calloused hand. Liam took the offered hand firmly in his own, shaking it before letting go. “I’ll be the doctor on board the  _ Voyager _ . If you have any medical problems or questions while we’re under water, I’ll be your go to for help. Now if you would follow me into my office, we can get this physical done and you can be on your way.”

Liam nodded, following the doctor downa  hall and into his office, sitting down in a seat when offered.

“So, Liam… do you have any medical conditions that i need to be made aware of?” Derek asked as he sat down, uncapping a pen and sliding a form towards him.

“I have asthma” Liam said. “Though it’s more of a seasonal thing. I’m fine in the summer, but the moment it hits winter i can barely breathe.”

“Do you have a preventer? Anything to help stop your asthma from playing up?” Derek asked, looking up.

“No, i dont “ Liam said, shaking his head. “I havent been able to go to the doctors in a while, and so my prescription for my preventer hasnt been filled.” As if to make a point, Liam was hit with a sudden, chest aching cough, one that shook his body and left his throat hoarse and scratchy.

“Okay, i’m definitely getting you a new prescription” Derek said, turning to his computer. “Do you know what the name of your one was?”

“Uh...symbicort, i think?” Liam said, massaging his throat.

Derek nodded, peering at the screen as he clicked through some menu’s. He hit a few keys on the keyboard, and the printer roared to life. He pulled the sheet of paper from the tray once it was finished, signed along the bottom and handed it to Liam.

“This one is a bit stronger than your symbicort. It should help. I am also going to suggest you get a standard inhaler. You have my permission to use it whenever you start to feel short of breath. We want you as fit as we can for this expedition, and we don't want you bedridden for most of it because of an asthma attack.”

“Okay” Liam said, nodding his head.

Derek looked down at the sheet again, pen poised at the ready. He began asking rapid fire questions, if Liam had an heart problems, spinal injuries, any previous surgeries or injuries that may cause problems on the expedition. Liam answered no to all of them.

“Okay, i’m going to need to get your height and weight” Derek said, standing from behind the desk. He pointed to a set of bathroom scales and a height chart. “Can you stand in front of the chart, i’ll get your height first.”

Liam did as he was asked, standing in front of the dotted lines. Derek peered closely at the numbers, jotting something down on the sheet, before pointing to the scales.

“Shoes off before you get on there please” he said.

Liam did as asked, slipping out of his shoes and standing on the scales. He looked away, not wanting to see what he was at. He waited while Derek jotted it down, before he was told to take a seat.

“Okay, that should be about it” Derek said, sitting down behind his desk. Liam sat down in his chair, slipping his shoes back on as Derek talked. “I don't know how much you might know, but everyone will be running on rations, to make the food last as long as possible, especially since we don't know how long the expedition will be for. So each and every one of us will be given meals that contain the perfect number of calories and other nutrients to carry us through the day.”

“Okay, that seems reasonable” Liam said, nodding his head. He honestly didnt care about the technicalities. He just wanted the man to keep talking. 

“Now comes the actual physical part of the test” Derek said, standing up from behind the desk. “Follow me.”

Liam stood, following the older man out of the room, and further down the hall they’d walked down a moment ago, before turning into a small indoor gym.

Derek closed the door behind them, before walking over to a row of cabinets, pulling out a heart monitor, with the sticky pads at the end of the cords.

“Can you take your shirt off please, Liam” Derek said, holding up the strips. “I need to stick these to your torso.”

Liam nodded his head, slowly stripping off his shirt. It wasn't that he was shy about his appearance, really. He did go to the gym when he found a spare moment. But really...it was just all of the hair that got in the way.

“Oh my” Derek said, once Liam had fully removed the shirt. Liam blushed, ducking his head. “Hey, it’s okay. Nothing to be ashamed of. We’ll just need to shave a bit of hair off, so we can actually stick the pads down.”

Liam hesitantly nodded his head, awkwardly clutching his shirt at his side.

“Liam, come over here” Derek said, his voice a little softer than before. He patted the top of the cabinets. “Can you get up here for me?”

Liam did as Derek asked, sitting up on the top of the counter while Derek rummaged through the cabinets, searching for something. When he came back up, he was holding a can of shaving cream and a safety razor in one hand, and electric trimmers in the other.

“So, do you want me to just shave off enough for the patches?” Derek asked, holding up the hand grasping the can of shaving cream. “Or would you like me to just shave it all off for you?”

“I didnt know you were a barber” Liam blurted out, furiously blushing as Derek laughed.

“No, i’m not” Derek said, shaking his head. “But you’re not the only patient who’s come in with a chest that looks like it’s never seen a razor before. So, which would you prefer?”

“Uh...might as well just shave it all off” Liam said, pointing to the electric trimmers. “Might as well see what all the fuss is about, after all.”

“Good man” Derek said with a grin. He set the can of shaving cream and the safety razor back into the cabinet, before plugging the electric razor in. He pressed the button on the side, nodding appreciatively as it whirred to life. “Good. Now, if you’d please hold still, this will pass quickly.”

The next few minutes did, indeed, pass quickly as Derek quickly removed all of the excess hair. While it seemed like a normal thing to Derek, to Liam it felt almost like he was taking off a final layer of clothing he’d forgotten he’d been wearing his whole life. He suddenly felt very naked in front of the handsome doctor, and couldnt help the uptick in his heartbeat.

Once Derek was finished, he peeled off the protective strips on the pads, pressing their cool surfaces to Liam’s now hairless chest and stomach.

“Now that you’re sitting here, i’ll take a base reading” the doctor said, turning on the monitor. He waited for it to turn on, muttering softly under his breath, before jotting the numbers down on a piece of paper. “You’re heart rates a little higher than average. Is there...anything in particular that might have cause it? Too much coffee? You go to the gym earlier?”

_ Nothing really _ Liam thought, as he shook his head.  _ Just that i’m talking to one of the hottest doctors i’ve seen in my life. _

“Okay then, Liam” Derek said, nodding. “I believe you.”

Liam couldnt help but notice the little gleam in Derek’s eyes, one that told Liam that Derek knew what he did to him. He blushed even further, trying to hide it as much as possible, but knew he was failing badly.

“I’ll get you to jump on the treadmill, please” Derek said, motioning to the machine in question. “I just need to get your peak heart rate, and then i’ll take a small blood sample.”

Liam nodded, doing as Derek had asked and walking over to the treadmill. He waited for Derek to slowly rev the machine up, starting at a walking pace, before he increased it to more of a jogging speed, and then a full on run.

He matched the speed of the treadmill, slowing down when Derek lowered the speed of the treadmill, speeding up a little more once Derek adjusted it to the right speed. The doctor kept his eyes on the monitor in his hands, keeping an eye on the screen and the numbers.

Liam kept the pace up for a few more minutes, his breathing starting to come out strained, his chest aching, when Derek finally allowed him to slow down, before finally coming to a stop. Derek motioned to Liam, pointing to a chair against the wall, annd Liam walked over to it, his legs aching and his chest and lung burning.

“I just need to get a small blood sample, is that okay?” Derek asked once Liam was seated. Liam nodded, holding out his hand while Derek pulled out a small needle, pricking his finger. He swabbed the area, soaking up the drop of blood, before sticking a band aid over the small wound.

“You can put your shirt back on” Derek said as he removed the patches from Liam’s chest and stomach. “I’ll get you a glass of water in a moment.”

Liam nodded, waving his hand in acknowledgement as he sat in the chair, trying to catch his breath. Derek walked over a moment later, a paper cup in hand, and Liam wordlessly thanked him, pressing the rim of the cup to his lips and sipping at the water.

“Well, everything seems to be in order” Derek said, jotting some things down on a sheet of paper. “It seems like you’ll be able to do most things required of you, though you might feel a little lethargic for most of the trip in the submarine. Nothing an hour with an oxygen mask wont help with, i'm sure.”

“So i’m good to go on the expedition?” Liam asked, perking up at Derek’s words.

“Yep, you are” Derek said, nodding. He walked over to the door, motioning to Lia to follow him. “While you have asthma, you’re not the only one. And it’s not nearly as serious as mine is, either.”

“You have asthma too?” Liam asked, following Derek down the hall.

“Yep. Though i actually keep on top of it with my preventer, so it doesnt seem like it isthat bad” Derek said with a smile. Liam couldnt help the way his stomach flipped at as that smile was directed towards him.

“Okay, i’ll make sure to stay on top of it in the future” Liam said, patting the pocket that held his new prescription.

They walked out into the waiting room, still empty except for Chris, who stood with a smile.

“I’m assuming everything went well?” The old man asked, looking between Liam and Derek.

“Yes, it did. I’ve cleared Liam for the expedition. I’ll send the appropriate paperwork to you for him to sign, and it should be fine” Derek said in reply.

“That’s wonderful news” Chris said, holding his hand out for Derek to shake. Derek took the hand in his, smiling broadly.

“It’s alright Chris. His only problem is his asthma, and it’s nothing we cant work around” Derek said, shrugging.

“That’s good to hear” Chris said, releasing his hold on Derek’s hand. “By the way, would you like to come over for a few drinks tonight? It’s the anniversary of Archibald’s passing, and i know you were fairly close with him.”

“I like the sound of that” Derek said with a smile, nodding at Chris and then Liam. “I guess i’ll be seeing the two of you tonight then.”

Liam and Chris nodded, saying their goodbyes, before stepping out of the clinic, walking over to the car.

“So, that’s that done. You’ve been cleared for the expedition” Chris said cheerfully. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to do now?”

“Nothing really. I just...want to relax now” Liam said.

Chris nodded, staying silent on the matter as they both climbed into the car. Chris sat in the drivers seat, turning the key in the ignition...but nothing happened. He frowned, turning the key again. The car gave off a few stuttering coughs, before falling silent once more.

“Well, this puts a spanner in the works” Chris said, frowning at the steering wheel.

“Well, who are we gonna call to fix this?” Liam asked, sitting back in the seat.

“I know just the person to ask, but she could be busy” Chris said, pulling out his phone. He dialed a number, pressing the phone to his ear. “Yes, hello. This is Chris Argent speaking” he said after a moment, humming in agreement to something. “Yes, something’s happened Lydia. The cars broken down at Derek’s clinic.” He hummed again, nodding his head. “Yep, we’ll be here Lydia. Not like we can go anywhere anyway.”

He hung up the phone, turning to Liam. “It looks like we have to wait.”

Liam nodded, opening up the notebook he’d brought with him, going over a few lines of text he’d copied down from the Shepherds Journal. He’d been struggling with them or a few days at this point, and he was starting to get frustrated with them.

He put pen to paper, slowly trying to figure out what the lines said, but each time crossing it out and beginning again. He flipped back and forth between a few pages, copying down similarly translated words on the page he was working on.

“Is everything okay there Liam?” Chris asked, looking over from his phone.

Liam sighed, shaking his head. “No...just a little frustrated is all.”

“Do you think i could help?” Chris asked, holding out a hand.

Liam passed the book over to Chris, who studied the page intently. “I don't know if you’ll understand much of it...or any of it, for that matter” Liam said, eyeing the words he’d meticulously copied onto the page. “It is Atlantean after all.”

Chris nodded, eyeing the sharp, oddly curved letters, before pointing at one word with the tip of the pen.

“Is this meant to be backwards?” Chris asked, turning to Liam. “You’ve got the same one here, going the other way.” He pointed to a glyph, one that looked similar to the letter G in lower case. “You see the loop here? It’s backwards. But up here, you’ve got it going the right way.”

Liam eyed the glyphs in question, a sudden idea hitting him. “Wait, so if it’s backwards...that might mean that it’s the opposite. That’s why i’ve been going around in circles.”

He took the book back from Chris, quickly translating the lines, paying close attention to the glyphs that were backwards.

“Okay, i think i’ve got it now” Liam said excitedly.

But before he could read it out, a tapping on the window brought his attention away from the book, and he looked outside. A woman with bright red hair stood outside, a soft smile on her face.

“Hey Chris” She called out through the window. “How’s it going? Is this little squirt Liam?”

Chris beamed, opening the door and climbing out. He circled the car, pulling the woman into an embrace. Liam hesitantly stepped out of the car, awkwardly waving at the woman.

“Hi…” Liam said softly. “I’m guessing you must be Lydia?”

“Yep, thats me” she said in a bubbly, cheerful voice. “And you are Liam, right? I didnt get that wrong, hopefully.”

“You’re right, i am Liam” he replied, smiling softly.

“Oh my god, Chris, you didnt tell me how cute he would be” Lydia said, almost shaking in excitement. Liam blushed, but didnt say anything, and Lydia simply squealed a little more. “He really is gorgeous.”

She turned to Chris, a smile on her face, but when she spoke, she was all business.

“Allright, what’s wrong with the car?” She asked. “Can you pop the hood? I’ll need to have a look inside.”

Chris nodded, opening the door and pulling the handle to pop the hood. Lydia quickly opened it up, leaning over the engine and inspecting it.

“Can you turn the key in the ignition for a moment” she asked, and Chris complied. Again, the engine didnt make a sound. “Hm...it seems like theres been a short in the wiring. It’s caused the battery to drain until the alternator cant provide enough juice for some major safety functions.”

“Come again?” Liam asked, his mind trying to wrap around the words. Lydia opened her mouth to reply, but Liam shook his head. “Wait, on second thought, don't worry. I’ll just end up even more confused.”

“Okay sweetie” Lydia said, smiling softly. “If you want, you can go and wait in the truck while Chris and I talk. I’ll drive the two of you to the garage once i get this thing on the hook.”

Liam nodded, quickly spotting the truck Lydia had arrived in. He crossed the car park, opening the passenger door and climbing inside. The heater was on, keeping the cabin nice and warm, and as he sat, watching Chris and Lydia talk through the windscreen, he felt his eyes drooping, exhaustion and the warmth of the cabin pulling him into sleep.

And while he slept, he dreamt of Atlantis, the ringed city with it’s canals and boats, it’s people walking the streets, as it would have been, stretched out below him.


End file.
